[HBQRP] Fwd: [QRP-L] Nov. 7 Zombie Shuffle

[Ray McNally]

Here is some REAL fun history for the Zombie Shuffle.

73,
Ray
---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: <na5n at zianet.com>
Date: Wed, Oct 29, 2014 at 1:32 AM
Subject: Re: [QRP-L] Nov. 7 Zombie Shuffle
To: QRP-L Mailing List <qrp-l at mailman.qth.net>


Tom AA2VK writes:

> Had to dig up my old original ID card and Pin from the first shuffle.
>

and then ...
Steve Smith WB6TNL writes:

> Only made 1 contact in the first Zombie Shuffle.  At least I snagged
> Elvis.  Didn't send in my (pathetic) log.  Then found out I could have
> scored a pin even so.  Kicked myself ever since.
>

Gosh.  I had forgotten all about the coveted Zombie lapel pins.  Thanks Tom
and Steve for the nostalgic reminders.  I just looked on my NA5N well-worn
hamfest ball cap, and sure enough, that's where mine has been since 1999.
I took a photo of the Zombie lapel pin and added it to the rules page under
Elvira and the Zombie badge (left side) at:
http://www.zianet.com/qrp/ZOMBIE/zombie.htm
The first Zombie Shuffle was "invented" at the 1998 Ft. Tuthill, AZ
hamfest, sponsored by the AZ SQRPions.  A nice friendly meeting that
evening around a campfire (and some adult beverages) to think up some
on-the-air activities for QRPers.  Quite a few famous fellas, like Jim
Duffey and Chuck Adams, to name a couple.  It was that evening that the
Zombie Shuffle, BUBBA, and FYBO were conceived.  We decided Halloween would
be appropriate for the ZS, only 3 weeks away.  It was publicized on QRP-L
with good participation.  The following year (1999), the Zombie Shuffle was
promoted on both QRP-L and in NorCal's QRPp journal, with a cut-out Zombie
badge on the back cover.  Remember that?
Doug Hendricks and Jim Cates (SK) paid to have some Zombie lapel pins made,
which were given to the first 100 logs submitted.  I think the pins were
also partially funded by NorCal (my apologies, I just don't remember).
NorCal was a Zombie Shuffle sponsor in those daze.
For several years, going to a QRP activity, it was quite a sight seeing
dozens of QRPers wearing their Zombie badges and Zombie pins.  Many still
do.  If you see someone with a Zombie Shuffle lapel pin, they are one of
the original QRP Zombies.  They were issued only in 1999, the 2nd annual
ZS, and are rare and classic QRP tokens for sure.
Do you still have yours?
For the newcomers ... there was someone who made a tongue-in-cheek comment
about how QRPers were just a bunch of zombies dancing around a fire late at
night building their NorCal kits.  Frankly, I kinda liked that image, and
said so on QRP-L, signing the post with "Zombie #38" just as a joke.  I
immediately got flooded with requests for Zombie numbers.  Thus, the Zombie
badge and numbers were invented.  And, as they say, the rest is history.
It was suggested to make the Zombie number part of the exchange.  I decided
to also make it a part of the scoring (which it still is).
We were going to call it the Zombie Sprint, but I remember Joe Gervais
reminded us that Zombies shuffle, they don't sprint.  And so the name came
to be.  The ZS was really meant to be a fun event for a year or two.  But,
it has become an institution now for 18 years.
Thanks to all who have participated and supported the Zombie Shuffle over
the years.  I hope you all have as much fun with this pointless, goofy
thing as I have (and from some of the photos and soapbox - you have!).
Moral of the story:
Make fun of us QRPers and we'll make an event out of it! :-)
Sorry for the long post, but thought some of you might want to know the
history behind the Shuffle and the tradition it has become.
Hope to see many of you Zombies dancing around the fire Friday night (Nov.
7).
72, Paul NA5N
Zombie #004
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